A major project to protect Beach Road along the Strand beachfront from windblown sand and frequent flooding during high tides and storms is set to start in July this year.

The R180 million refurbishment of the Strand sea wall forms part of the City of Cape Town’s Strand Pavilion Precinct upgrade project.

“Local residents and visitors to the area are well acquainted with the impact that the weather has on Beach Road, in particular during the rainy season. Waves, sand and debris often obstruct sections of the road after storms, partly because of the disintegration of the sea wall over the past decades,” said Councillor Brett Herron, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town.

“Businesses along the beachfront will benefit significantly from the refurbishment of the sea wall thanks to lower insurance costs and Transport for Cape Town, the City’s transport authority, will benefit because we will spend considerably less on maintenance and cleaning up after storms,” he added.

The sea wall will be rehabilitated from the lifesaving club, past the Strand Pavilion to Greenways. The construction will take place in three phases, with each phase to be concluded within 18 months, if all goes according to plan:

• the first phase will be undertaken from the Strand Pavilion to Da Gama Street
• the second phase will be undertaken from Da Gama Street to the lifesaving club
• the final phase will be undertaken from the Strand Pavilion to Greenways

A five-metre wide promenade will be created along the sea side of Beach Road, stretching from the lifesaving club in the west to Greenways in the east.

In addition, a precast concrete recurved sea wall will be constructed between the promenade and the beach, the top of which will be 0.75 metres above the promenade level and 1 – 2 metres above the beach.